have a great day. and go vote. this morning, finally, time to vote. >> election day ballots have already been cast hours ago in a corner of new hampshire. and soon, the nation. the candidates are home, after a bruising, final day. we're in chicago and boston. also, new concerns in the storm zone. the coldest night so far. and another storm on the way. but some people without heat are still refusing to leave. and from the cold to california's hot, dry winds. fire danger running high in the golden state. and liar, liar. jimmy kimmel's election day prank with hilarious responses, you just have to hear. good morning. it is election day.

as you said, finally. >> finally. >> it all comes down to today, after the long, expensive campaign. all the ads. all the attacks. all the polls. all the promises. all the money. all the hype. today, the american people will choose their next president. >> and for weeks, as we've said, it's been an extremely tight race. and with election day 2012 finally here, your voice will be heard and your vote counted. we have correspondents with both campaigns that begin this election morning, with abc's t.j. winick. he's live for us in chicago. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. well, the president wrapped up his campaign yesterday here in the midwest. and right now, it looks as if a last-minute surge could carry barack obama to four more years. while most of the east coast of the u.s. is still asleep, residents of dixville notch, a tiny town in new hampshire, cost the first votes in the

presidential election. after 46 seconds of voting, president barack obama and mitt romney had each five votes. as americans prepare to vote, a new abc news/"washington post" poll shows president obama pulling ahead by four points. at an emotional final rally monday night, the president asked iowa to help him finish what he started. >> iowa, we're here tonight because we have more work to do. we're not done, yet, on this journey. we've got more road to travel. >> reporter: the president's pitch earlier in the day, that he's the same idealist he ran as four years ago. >> you see the scars on me to prove it. you've seen the gray hair on my head, to show you. what it means to fight for change. >> reporter: for mitt romney, a frenetic push to the finish. starting in florida monday, then, virginia, ohio and new hampshire, nearing midnight.

>> perhaps some of your family and friends have not made up their mind who they're going to vote for. ask them to look beyond the speeches and the ads and all the attacks because talk is cheap. ask them to look at the record. >> reporter: president obama will spend election day here in chicago. he will address his supporters here at the lakeside center, either later tonight or perhaps early tomorrow morning, win or lose. rob and paula? >> all right. t.j. winick live in chicago this election morn. thank you very much. >> election morn. >> morning. short for -- while the president is staying put there in chicago, mitt romney has a few more campaign miles left in him. >> like evening and eve. there you go. he's going to start his day in massachusetts and focus on some swing states. abc's brandi hitt is in boston. >> reporter: good morning, rob

and paula. this is where mitt romney headquarters is set up. and where mitt romney hopes to hold a victory party later this evening. romney rallied support in the big battleground states he needs for victory, including florida, virginia and the biggest of all, ohio. he needs those states because this race is still so very close. >> i need your work. i need your help. i need your vote. >> reporter: romney ended his campaign swing in new hampshire with a big celebration that included a performance by kid rock. his campaign believes that romney has the momentum and enthusiasm on his side to win this race. and we'll find out today when voters hit the polls. rob and paula? >> today's the one poll that counts. thanks for that. and make abc news your place for election returns with our team, live, right there in times square. it kicks off at 7:00 eastern time tonight. well, there are also 33 senate seats up for grabs today. among the high-profile races,

the one in massachusetts between democrat elizabeth warren and republican incumbent, scott brown. it's the most expensive race. both candidates raising over $50 million. and in connecticut, democratic congressman chris murphy faces former pro wrestling executive, linda mcmahon. their race is considered among the most negative. and claire mccaskill trying to fight off todd akin. and former congresswoman gabby giffords has cast her ballot. walking into the county recorder's office yesterday. accompanied by her former assistant. barber was also injured during the assassination attempt against giffords. meanwhile, officials in new york and new jersey are setting up last-minute polling accommodations for voters who were displaced by superstorm sandy. some devastated areas will cast

ballots on portable voting machines in tents that you see there. governor andrew cuomo cleared the way for people to vote in any polling site in new york. and people in new jersey can vote electronically by e-mail or by fax. as a powerful nor'easter looms, some people in the storm zone say they are too worried about surviving to vote. the approaching storm is meeting nearly 1.5 million without power, struggling to just keep warm in the midst of some of the coldest air of the season. new york's mayor bloomberg is urging residents to turn the to shelters. but not everyone is willing to go. >> it's our home. if you leave your place and you don't know if they're going to loot. >> a big concern, looting is. about 10,000 people in battered homes and apartments will likely need emergency housing in new york city alone. and we're learning about the heavy damage sandy inflicted on one custom-built staten island

home. it's the home of army specialist brendan morocco, who lost both arms and legs after a roadside bombing in iraq three years ago. his home was built with the help of donations from people in every state, needs a lot of cleaning and repair work after the storm. he and his family tell "the new york times" they are a lot better off than other neighbors. and they're moving forward. and they're grateful. we have wrapped up our day of giving here at abc news and disney. and the results have been incredibly successful. with the help of our viewers we raised more than $16 million for hurricane relief. all that money goes to the red cross. many thanks to all of the people who donated. it's time, now, for the weather across the nation. stormy along the coast of florida, georgia and the carolinas. that storm moves into the northeast by tomorrow, bringing rain and wind. showers are possible for chicago, st. louis and minneapolis. >> it is a chilly morning in new england, as the coldest air

of the season pours in. new york and baltimore are up to ten degrees colder than usual. l.a., honolulu and phoenix are in the mid to upper 80s. sounds nice. >> sure does. when we return on this election day, the dirty tricks looking to mess up a good, clean political fight. also, the tricky rescue needed to save lives when this boat flipped over in choppy waters, with children onboard.

welcome back, everybody. well, air travel here in the northeast is getting back to normal after hurricane sandy.

the airlines have cleared up much of the backlog of stranded travelers. but they lost about $100 million. that's because many travelers simply gave up and canceled trips. amtrak train service is also nearly back to normal. and they are waiting on wall street. trading on the financial markets was light yesterday. and is expected to be off today, as well, as investors wait and see who wins today's election. the uncertainty over this close presidential race has been holding back the markets. but analysts expect the surge in trading volume later this week, no matter who wins. apple's share of the tablet market is down to a mere 50%. but the company says it sold 3 million tablets in just the first three days, following the release of the ipad mini and the fourth generation full-size ipad. that's twice as many devices as when the third generation ipad was launched last march. >> only 50%. and this is the opposite of

products placement. anheuser-busch wants any images of its budweiserer beer taken out of the film "flight." denzel washington is shown drinking a bud while driving. he also drinks a lot of vodka in the film. and the distributor is not happy, either. when we come back, danger on the front lines. the fast-moving fire that has crews now racing to save homes. and the saints made it look like a breeze, on "monday night football." >> who dat? lemonade and ♪ ♪ you can help others along the way. ♪ ♪ a portion of every bottle that they sell goes to fight ♪ ♪ breast cancer and i think that's swell. ♪ ♪ the more you take, the more they'll pay, ♪ ♪ so make them write a big check today. ♪ ♪ and if you're feeling a little slow, ♪

♪ then 5-hour energy will help you go. ♪ ♪ so buy a bottle of pink lemonade and ♪ ♪ you can help fight breast cancer today. ♪

online outfit piccolo headphones buy now broadway show megapixels place to sleep little roadster war and peace deep sea diving ninja app hipster glasses 5% cash back sign up to get 5% everywhere online through december. only from discover. a wildfire that forced the shutdown of a major highway linking southern california to las vegas is expected to be fully contained by this evening. the fire flared up on both sides

of interstate 15 in the cohon pass yesterday, backing up traffic for hours. but crews managed to keep the flames away from nearby homes. as for today's road conditions, it could be wet on i-95 in florida and georgia. there could even be a rain/snow mix in northern wisconsin. >> you don't hear this very often, but it is a good day to fly. atlanta is the only possible airport delay. we have new indications overnight how close the presidential race may actually turn out to be. the results are in from tiny dixville notch, new hampshire. and for the first time in the town's history, the vote was tied. each candidate got five votes. >> oh. getting to the polls at midnight has been a long tradition there. here's abc's pierre thomas. >> reporter: travis horn of tampa, florida, is angry. >> i tried to be a good citizen.

and to get this letter, it was a little insulting. >> reporter: horn was one of dozens of mostly republicans in 28 counties in florida who got this letter in the mail, questioning if they were citizens. the letter was claimed to be from election officials, warned that voter fraud is a felony. they've launched an investigation into a dirty trick. in ohio and wisconsin, billboards like these started popping up mainly in minority communities. warning voter fraud is a felony. >> this billboard is nothing but a symbol of voter suppression, targeting african-american communities. >> reporter: after the controversy exploded, the billboards came down. but tensions remain. as the election approaches, the likely legal battles will be access to the polls. pierre thomas, abc news, new york. if you want to make sure there's no question about your voting status, bring your voter registration card and i.d., perhaps a utility bill with your

address on it. and above all of it, simply go to the polls and be heard. and now, to a dramatic water rescue in the san francisco bay area. seven people, including four children, were pulled to safety after their boat capsized in choppy water. rescuers plucked five victims from the overturned boat. but a 6-year-old and 8-year-old were trapped in the cabin. they towed the boat to shore, cut it open with a saw, and pulled those kids out. all seven amazingly appeared to be just fine. in medical news this morning, there's been a major advance in the use of stem cells to repair damaged parts. stem cells donated by strangers proved as safe and as effective as patients own cells. doctors are excited because all this suggests that 12e78 cells could be banked for offthe shelf use after heart attacks. a glimmer of hope in the nhl

dispute. the players and the league will be back at the negotiating table. and now, football highlights from espn. >> randy scott here with your "sportscenter" update. let's take you back to "monday night football" last night. a good one at the superdome. that's mike vick. his eagles have dropped three-straight. can't make it four. vick has to protect the football. no. it's off the hands of his tight end. intercepted by patrick robinson. 99 yards the other way. exploring the stadium. and the saints have a lead. now, a 14-3 game. drew brees rolling right. finding a wide-open marques colston. 53-straight games with a touchdown pass for brees. this game is getting loose and weird. it's over, right? no. vick, to his playmaker, desean jackson, 77 yards to the house. third career receiving touchdown 75 yards or longer.

that's tied for the most in the nfl since 2008. next eagles drive, being pressured. will smith getting all sorts of i am legend on vick. the seventh saints sack. here's your dagger. brees to jimmy graham, who had 8 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. brees, 239 through the air with 2 scores. third quarter. last chance for vick. third and goal. off of the helmet. the ball is loose. and the saints have it. circle gets the square. andy reid is not happy. michael vick's not happy. with regards to the streak on "monday night football," drew brees has 24 touchdowns in 8 monday night wins. i'm randy scott. have a good day. >> we needed it. up next, "the pulse." an election day no-no in a couple of states.

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hearing a lot of that music today, that's for sure. an election day "pulse," on this tuesday. we all know what an important responsibility voting is. something that should be undertaken with a pretty clear head. >> hopefully. well, officials in two states certainly seem to think so. alcohol is outlawed in kentucky and south carolina on election day. laws lingering on the books since prohibition. folks will have to find another way to celebrate if their candidates win or drown their sorrows if they don't. the kentuckians and south

carolinians. no soup for you today. >> no bourbon in kentucky on election day? >> american. our friend, jimmy kimmel, has created a hilarious segment, catching people flat-out lying. >> last night, he told people it was election day, yesterday, the day before the legitimate election day. and asked if they had voted. check out his bit, "lie-witness news." >> did you go to the polls and vote yet? >> yes. >> was it exciting? >> it was a blast. >> today's election day. have you gone to the poll s yet to vote? >> not yet. i'm going to go after i eat. >> did you vote? >> i did. >> how were the lines? were they long? >> getting there. getting there. >> did you get a stick center? >> no, i did not. >> i'll give you one. >> thank you very much. vote today. >> oh, man. people who lie as much as the

politicians themselves. >> something similar about the first wives and their debate. people were asking about the debate. and people thought there was one. and there wasn't. >> bad, folks. well, they don't have a vote or much of a voice. but they're experts at showing the candidates just how they really feel. >> no traditional campaign stop is quite complete without the strategic baby cuddle. we're looking at the reactions from the little ones. a mix of comfort, shock, fear and a mix of tears. >> and a little sleepy time there. >> every politician has to kiss the babies. that's as american as it gets. >> kissing the baby, everybody. >> that kid will have a picture that he or she will love for a long time. that's the fun part. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back at the end of the trail for the candidates who have been living and breathing the campaign. [ male announcer ] if it wasn't for a little thing called the computer,

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>> five hundred plus days down to today. some polls open back east. from the last minute crush to key races at home count on us for your best coverage and results on the go no matter where you are today. good morning i'm meteorologist mike nicco. fog in the north bay, record high temperatures for one last , south carolina. and minneapolis could see showers. and finally from us on this election day morning, a chance to reflect a little bit. by any measure, the presidential campaign has been an expensive one, not to mention an extremely long one. >> no matter the outcome, two

men are forever linked in american history. a point eloquently made by abc's john donvan. >> i believe in america. >> a second term. >> and i'm running for president of the united states. >> reporter: it's happened yet again. the greatest battle for power there is. where the prize is what each of us has just one of, a vote. and what they'll go through to get it. consider the republican who did this all once before. >> i declare my intention to run for president of the united states. >> reporter: that was 522 days ago. ever since, a life on planes, off planes. on stage, off stage. greet, greet, greet. debate, debate, debate, debate, debate. one parent time, he enjoyed himself. >> when we're in recession, you shouldn't raise taxes on anyone. >> reporter: consider the democrat. >> one important time, he did not. >> i feel well-rested after the nice nap i had in the first debate.

>> reporter: he also did this once before and says he won't do it again. but this time, he had the day job pulling him in all directions. it was govern and run. govern and run. govern and run. govern and run. govern and run. surviving it, this adventure that exhausted and aged them both. they in fact shared some of the ways they cope. he's been calling home every night from the campaign. so has he. hearing the friendly voices mattered. they worked out a bit on the road in hotels whose names they never remember. of course, they beat each other up, in those ads, in those glares. yet, something forms a bond here, too. knowing what it was like to be them, to be running for president in 2012, they were alone in that knowledge. and together, a shared experience. when one wins, and the other does not. john donvan, abc news, washington. >> well done, john, as always. remember, join the abc news